Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni held a significant phone conversation in which both leaders reaffirmed their strong commitment to deepening the India-Italy Strategic Partnership, a pillar of New Delhi’s growing engagement with Europe.

The dialogue underscored broad-based cooperation across political, economic, and regional-security domains, while also highlighting shared priorities in addressing global challenges.

The conversation came in the backdrop of increasing high-level exchanges between India and Italy, reflecting a convergence of interests in multilateral forums and in aligning respective foreign and trade policies toward a more resilient and diversified global order.

A major focus of the discussion was the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, where both leaders reiterated the urgent need for a peaceful resolution. Modi emphasised India’s consistent position of calling for diplomacy, dialogue, and de-escalation to address the crisis, while Meloni reaffirmed Europe’s concerns over the geopolitical and economic consequences of the war.

The leaders expressed a mutual interest in stability and the strengthening of concerted international efforts to mitigate the humanitarian and security fallout of the conflict. India and Italy, while approaching the crisis from different geopolitical vantage points, highlighted their shared interest in safeguarding global peace and ensuring multipolar cooperation in tackling the situation.

On the economic front, Modi conveyed his appreciation for Italy’s active support in steering forward negotiations on the India-European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA). He termed Italy’s role "proactive and constructive," recognising Rome’s influence within the EU in facilitating progress toward a comprehensive and balanced trade pact.

Both leaders agreed that the agreement, once finalised, would unlock fresh avenues for growth, boost two-way investments, and help diversify supply chains, thereby raising the profile of the India-EU economic corridor. The emphasis on the FTA aligns with India’s wider strategy of enhancing trade integration with Europe and positioning itself as a key player in global value chains amid shifting geopolitical dynamics.

Connectivity also featured prominently in the exchange, with both leaders highlighting the importance of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC) as a transformative initiative to strengthen logistics and infrastructure links between South Asia, West Asia, and Europe.

Modi thanked Meloni for Italy’s backing in promoting IMEEC, underscoring its potential to enhance cross-border trade, reduce transit times, and bring economic resilience to critical supply lines. Both sides agreed to accelerate cooperation in this domain, situating IMEEC within broader efforts to modernise connectivity frameworks that underpin global commerce and regional integration.

Beyond trade and strategic connectivity, the dialogue reinforced the expanding scope of the India-Italy Strategic Partnership, which has gained momentum in recent years. The two leaders noted the growing collaboration in critical sectors such as defence industry, energy transition, digital innovation, and advanced manufacturing, all of which are central to enhancing strategic trust and bilateral resilience.

Italy’s advanced technology expertise and India’s scale and market potential complement each other well, providing fertile ground for co-development and co-production across priority industries. This cooperation sits within the framework of the India-EU strategic agenda, which both leaders acknowledged as vital for forging a more balanced and multipolar world order.

In conclusion, the call between Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Meloni reflected a shared determination to advance bilateral cooperation while simultaneously aligning perspectives on pressing global issues. Their reaffirmation of the strategic partnership signals growing convergence not only at the bilateral level but also in the wider India-EU matrix.

By stressing the importance of peace in Ukraine, a forward-looking trade agreement with the EU, and transformative connectivity through IMEEC, both leaders demonstrated political will to translate high-level diplomacy into tangible outcomes.

The dialogue has reinforced India-Italy relations as an anchor within the broader scope of India-EU engagement, paving the way for more structured collaboration in economic, diplomatic, and security domains.

Based On TOI Report